Shloka 17
सोमक–जन्तु उपाख्यानम्
Somaka–Jantu Exemplar: The Quest for a Hundred Sons
ऋत्विगुवाच अस्ति चैतादृशं कर्म येन पुत्रशतं भवेत् । यदि शक्नोषि तत् कर्तुमथ वक्ष्यामि सोमक,पुरोहितने कहा--सोमक! ऐसा कर्म है जिससे तुम्हें सौ पुत्र हो सकते हैं। यदि तुम उसे कर सको तो बताऊँगा
ṛtvig uvāca—asti caitādṛśaṃ karma yena putraśataṃ bhavet | yadi śaknoṣi tat kartum atha vakṣyāmi somaka ||
ปุโรหิตกล่าวว่า “โสมกะ มีพิธีเช่นนั้นอยู่จริง ซึ่งทำให้ได้โอรสหนึ่งร้อยคน หากท่านสามารถประกอบได้ ข้าพเจ้าจึงจะบอก”
सोमक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames progeny as something sought through prescribed action (karma) under priestly guidance, while also implying a moral test: the priest will disclose the means only if the king is truly able to carry it out—hinting that not every desired end justifies any means.
Somaka is in dialogue with his priest. The priest claims knowledge of a specific rite or act that can result in a hundred sons and offers to reveal it conditionally, depending on Somaka’s willingness and capacity to perform it.